The hyper-immersive Brazilian Pavilion at the World Expo Dubai is open now through March 31st, 2022.

This technological wonder and must-see exhibit which transports visitors to the awe-inspiring landscapes of Brazil through breathtaking larger-than-life visual projections was made possible by Cactus, the award-winning multidisciplinary design studio creating work at the intersection of the physical and digital worlds.

A fully immersive 360° nature-evoking experience, the Pavilion transports visitors to Brazil’s forests, canyons, and beaches through breathtaking larger-than-life visual projections.

Photo Credit: Joana Franca
The 24,800 square feet enclosure is covered in a custom-designed, 1002 HT projectable fabric built with high tensile strength to withstand challenging desert weather conditions such as sandstorms, windstorms, extreme heat, etc.

Cactus’ design and tech-forward experience design contributions showcase the power of combining culture and digital tools to tell meaningful stories. Created in collaboration with prominent Brazilian architects, including MMBB, JPQ.ARQ, and BEN-AVID, the daytime exhibition offers attendees a shady respite from the desert heat. Stepping through a shallow reflective pool beneath the 24,800 square foot enclosure, visitors are immersed in a one-of-a-kind sensory experience. From the walls to the floor and ceiling, guests are surrounded by over 60,000 square feet of vibrant videos, enveloped in the wondrous sights and sounds of the Amazon rainforest. As the sun sets, the exterior of the exhibit transforms into a luminous cube of dazzling images, traversing through Brazil’s lush and diverse landscapes, unveiling another must-see harmonizing digital display of culture and entertainment.

To translate the vision of the architects, Cactus’ first challenge meant meticulously specifying a projectable and weather-resistant sheer translucent fabric to illuminate the various videos of Brazil’s natural geographical wonders, while keeping in mind the Expo’s theme of sustainability and biodiversity. Taking these conditions into account, Cactus developed a custom fabric with the Serge Ferrari Group. An extremely sturdy material in its composition, the bespoke construction membrane 1002 HT boasts high tensile and tear strength, allowing it to withstand sandstorms, windstorms, and other challenging elements of desert life.

An intricate system with over 140+ projectors and custom selected media servers are also built into the physical design — in plain sight but never encroaching on the viewer’s visual field.

The result is a human-centric design, highlighting the confluence of physical-meets-digital with an immersive experience that considers both the built environment and the necessity of technology for delivery.

“Our job is to turn lofty, complex ideas into reality, to optimize and accelerate the convergence of digital and physical experiences at an architectural scale,” notes Lucas Werthein, Head of Technology for Cactus. “This project is a culmination of everything we love doing and believe we need more of in this world—getting people out of their phones and into their lives, experiencing wonder in a way that is memorable, sensory, and highly entertaining and engaging.”